Little Nonna’s

For my birthday in August, my boyfriend surprised me with reservations at Little Nonna’s, a fairly new restaurant in Center City, Philadelphia, where old school Italian meets new school. Nestled in a small brick building, the intimate 40-seat eatery exudes classic Italian charm, with vintage tableware and rustic wood tables, but serves a menu with a modern take on grandma-style comfort.

Though the restaurant has a beautiful outdoor seating area, decorated with string lights and vintage aprons dangling from laundry lines, we opted to sit comfortably inside the cozy dining room due to high humidity and the threat of rain.

From the extensive list of unique antipasti options, we started with and quickly devoured the wild mushroom arancini, featuring melty buffalo mozzarella and truffle aioli, and bruschetta served with delicious roasted figs, warm Gorgonzola dolce, crunchy hazelnuts and celery hearts. Along with pan-seared potato gnocchi, served with wild mushrooms, English peas, tarragon, leeks and baby tomatoes, we shared the restaurant’s signature Sunday gravy dish, a platter of slowly braised beef short ribs, a huge fontina-stuffed meatball, hot fennel sausage and broccoli rabe with a huge portion of “gravy” (marinara made with San Marzano tomatoes) and the macaroni of the day. The meatball, oozing with cheese, and short ribs were deliciously tender and the gnocchi melted in my mouth.

We lingered in the cozy room long after the meal ended, finishing a well-paired bottle of red and savoring a delectable cannoli stuffed with hazelnut ricotta, fudge and caramelized cacao nibs. Delicious food and great company made for a birthday dinner I won’t soon forget!

Little Nonna’s

1234 Locust St.

Philadelphia, PA 19107

tel 215 546 2100